


One Step Forward

by Josh89



Series: Time [8]
Category: Castle (TV 2009)
Genre: Don't copy to another site, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Fluff, Kate's drinking tea, Love, Nostalgia, Obviously because the smell of coffee makes her feel sick, Rick and Kate are so adorable together, Rick knows just how to comfort Kate, Romantic Fluff, They're going to be great parents, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, sleep cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-17 00:02:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19328791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh89/pseuds/Josh89
Summary: In which Kate and Rick snuggle up on a couch, reassure each other about their parenting skills, and have breakfast together the next morning.





	One Step Forward

“Hey”  
The writer glanced up from the book that he was reading, giving a soft smile to his fiancée as she approached him. “Hi”.  
He held out his arms to her, and she went willingly, folding herself into his embrace and resting her head on his shoulder. “What are you reading?” she queried.  
“Casino Royale. This was the book that inspired me to become a writer when I was 10 years old, I thought it was about time that I reread it” Rick replied softly.  
He slid a bookmark into place and gently closed the book before setting it aside, turning his full attention to the woman in his arms. “How did your conversation with Alexis go?”  
“You knew I was going to talk to her?” Kate queried, surprised.  
Rick gave a gentle laugh. “Not at first, but the sound of your footsteps made it obvious that you were going upstairs and then two distinctly different, though I’ll admit muffled, voices made it pretty obvious. So, how did your conversation with her go?”  
Kate smiled back at the writer, raising herself slightly to press a tender kiss to his lips. Pulling away a couple of seconds later, she shifted slightly to make herself more comfortable, before speaking. “I think it went really well, to be honest. I told her that we were planning to hold the wedding up here, since that would mean less pressure to pick a date and choose reservations. And I asked her to be one of my bridesmaids”.  
“Really?”  
“Really, yes. I know we’re nowhere near starting to plan anything specific yet, and this weekend’s really just about us relaxing after the last couple of weeks, but I couldn’t help thinking it would be a good idea to ask her before she left for Costa Rica. And she seemed genuinely delighted when I asked her, so that didn’t hurt either”.  
Rick smiled warmly at her. “I’m glad to hear that, I really am. Alexis really means a lot to me, so I’m genuinely grateful that the two of you get on so well”.  
“Yeah, well, she’s an amazing kid, Rick. And she has an amazing father” she whispered softly.  
The writer sighed. “I don’t know how much credit I deserve for how she turned out, really. She practically raised herself”.  
Her fiancé’s words made Kate sit bolt upright instantly, staring at him, her hazel eyes flashing in shock. “How can you say that? Richard Castle, you have always been, and will always be, an amazing father. Alexis’s intelligence, dedication, and loyalty? They’re all testament to the absolutely wonderful job you did raising that incredible young woman upstairs. Her sense of right and wrong? Again, that’s all thanks to you, Rick. Everything that is good in Alexis came from you”.  
“Thank you. I think I needed to hear that”.  
Kate smiled, relaxing into her fiancé’s arms again. “Always, Rick”.  
The writer bent his head to his fiancée’s, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “Just for the record, you’re going to make an excellent mother, Kate. I just know it”.  
The only response his comment got from the detective in his arms was a soft, noise of contentment as she nuzzled further into the crook of his neck. Smiling to himself, he reached out, pulling a blanket off of the chair next to them and pulling it over the two of them, before falling asleep as well.  
-The next morning-  
Kate woke to the smell of pancakes and the soft touch of her fiancé’s lips to her forehead. Lifting her head to his, she gave him a soft smile, before closing the distance between them and pressing her lips to his in an extremely brief, though tender, kiss. “Morning, Rick”.  
“Good morning to you too. Breakfast is ready. Alexis is still asleep upstairs, I thought I’d let her sleep for a bit longer before waking her since she’s been so busy with college lately that she hasn’t really had a chance to catch up on her rest”  
The detective nodded, having been just about to ask about whether Alexis would be joining them or not. “Knowing how busy college can be, I’d say she needs all the sleep she can get”.  
They walked down the short hallway into the kitchen, an easy silence between the two of them, and she settled onto one of the counter stools, her hand falling to brush against his as he took the seat next to her. She took a sip of the brown liquid in the cup in front of her, sighing in satisfaction as the hot tea slid down her throat. “Did you mean what you said last night? About thinking that I’m going to make an excellent mother?”  
His hand rested on hers, squeezing it tightly. She turned to face him, raising her eyes to meet his blue ones. Blue eyes filled with nothing but undisguised love and honesty stared back at her, and the writer nodded. “Of course I do, Kate, how could I ever think you’d be anything but that?”  
“I guess it’s just that… with the job that we do, we see every day how horrible the real world can be. For a long time, I resisted even the merest idea of having a family of my own, not wanting to bring children into a world where their loved ones can be taken away from them in a heartbeat. That all changed once I started to fall for you though, I think”.  
Rick looked surprised. “Oh?”  
Kate took another sip of her tea, a longer one this time. When she spoke against, her voice was soft and gentle. “You’ve changed my perspective on so many things. Until I met you, my life was… well, for want of a better word, it was dull. Nothing but work, sleep, the occasional date or girl’s night with Lanie, but it was all just part of a routine. You changed all that, Rick. You helped me every day, though I refused to admit it (even to myself) for the longest time, to see that there was still excitement and good left in the world. In all honesty, you still do. Hearing you say with such certainty that you think I’m going to be an excellent mother… that means more than I could ever say. Thank you”.  
Rick slipped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug and kissing the top of her forehead gently. “Always”.


End file.
